[jpelg]

I know that the Ah! Njoe Tjeob player has a digital variable output via the remote. This enables the player to be connected to a power amp without a preamp in between. While not an ideal setup perhaps, apparently it does work.

Anyone know what other players offer this option (not for the player's headphone jack, but the standard RCA outputs)? How common is this?

 

[JMT]

Obviously not in the same league as the Ah! Njoe Tjeob, but the old Denon DCM-370 has a variable line output. I don't know about the new DCM-380 though.

 

[lini]

jpelg: The Marantz CD 6000 OSE does, for example. You have to be careful, though, because there are various types of digitally controlled variable outputs. The one in the Marantz for exmaple will reduce the bit depth with decreasing volume, for example - thus in most cases one would be better off using a simple voltage divider or just a properly matched resistor instead... Then there are the ones that digitally control the gain, which should work fairly fine, and the ones that digitally adjust a motor pot, which would also be a better option than decreasing the bit depth...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[grinch]

cary 303/200 has this. cary 306/200 can be fitted with an expensive potentiometer that is controllable via remote.

i have heard that this form of volume control usually isn't very great though. i think that if i was going to go this route, i would build/buy a dact passive preamp (basically, a small box with an input/output and a dact stepped attenuator inbetween) to use. i haven't heard digital volume control myself, but i've heard from a friend that the 303/200's digital volume control wasn't too great, and that is known to be a fairly high-end redbook player, so i can only wonder how this impacts the sound of lower-end models.

 

[David Mitchell]

The Technics SL-PG4 is an inexpensive player with that feature, more or less. It's available only from the remote control. I don't know which stage the attenuation takes place at, and I haven't listened to it critically.

 

[chefbeldar]

The Linn Genki has variable output on its RCA's, although I personally haven't tried listening to it through my headphone setup, others have said it sounds terrible compared to the fixed output.

Hope this helps,
Chefbeldar

 

[drewski]

I have a Xindak SCD-2 player that has a variable output. The volume control is actually quite good and I have not been able to hear sonic degradation when turning the volume up or down. The only problem is that the unit goes back to normal output when turned off, so if you don't turn the volume down, be prepared

I've also used the Marantz 6000 OSE that has a digital volume contol also- I found this to have a significant amount of distortion/degradation when used to control the volume. Not recommended. The Ah! Njoe Tjeob is based on the Marantz transport, so I'd agree with Lini and stay clear from this.

I definitely agree with Markl- I have a dact stepped attenuator that I had made for me- the bad thing is that you'll need an extra set of interconnects. Here's a picture of the outside of it from the bay area meet- it's the bigger silver box next to the Scout-

edit:the huge pic I had here at first was quite annoying!

 

[jpelg]

Thanks for all the info guys. I guess this is not the way to go, even for a short term.

 

[elrod-tom]

The Adcom GCD-575 has both a fixed and variable output, and may be used with a power amp. An oldie but goodie....

In the upper end, the Wadia line have variable digital volume. When we were at our meet, we had them all cranked up to 100, as they were feeding amps with pots. We also had a good long listen to a dac that fed directly into power amps, and it sounded pretty damn good.

Hope this helps....

 

[kuma]

Quote:

Originally posted by jpelg Anyone know what other players offer this option (not for the player's headphone jack, but the standard RCA outputs)? How common is this?

Pretty common I say. But, be wary of most digital volume controls in CD players. They tend to sound the best at louder volume. As you go down in volume, dynamics tend to suffer. ( even on Wadia volume control, the music sounded the best when the level was maintained at certain level ) I am sure some geek person would be able to explay why this is.
The CD players with volume control I had were:
Wadia: 23, 21, 860
Linn Genki: forget about its variable outputs. sound so much nicer without it.
Theta Miles: same as above. Plus its remote was annoyingly not responsive. Why bother with a remote when you had to be so close to the unit to respond.

My Krell kps25s employs digital volume control,too. The most precise digital level control i have used to date ( over 65,000 steps with steps selected by CMOS analog switches that are microprocessor ) and doesn't lose marbles at low volume, but, even then, there are better sounding analogue preamps than this, imho.

 

[Sovkiller]

All the Sony CD players that I have owned to the date had this feature, most of them only through the remore, others has a pair of RCA via volume, and another pair direct...this is common feauture to many, even low budget, models